Telegram-herald., 1887-04-23
The Legislative Committee
Bursts a Golden Bubble.
OlNslSLE GAMBLING N HUMAN LIFE
Prominent miehigan Msn implicated
N ~aitinz Tor Dead Men's shoes
-Nsarif al the So-cailsd ls-
suranes Companies not
ten to the Core

AAta 80 aIrtAA a--st-1i Nt-A+eeE ~-F--~ -
caleLins saea testimony - souid show up |
70 lhs world What tamn4ble gambling IN
human lives has been going on IL tais beau
uf1i state. I8e Dakia scandal las ex-
rerenced prou1n-cv1 Ill since -enalofs
oorman aad WesszIs and hepressn taiiYes
Cre.s Doug asa aaI Goodrich, tne commit
tee. male Duhlic This morning the immense
report prepared 5y them upOn the subject
f1r u j. more Duk - than any report ever
made fo The Leglsiatlre before and u Is
hisaly sensational
fas report proper covers 2l3 closely
painted pages ~ types writer work. With
tables "a statistics calculated 70 shO" tns
condition ~ crave Yard companies doing
business iu tae state. AID with it comes So
PAGES of testimony transcribed from steao-
graphic C1a1aC.eFs- enough IA Itself 70
maze four Volumes.
During tae pass Our wears Is Insurance
companies have been doing business and
talf oi them have expired. Tue other z,
show a. to BE- doing a reasonably upright
business bnt the other i5 are cut and cur
grave yard companies. These - companies
bays received in money during ihe four
years about Two million dollars. Of which
some one mIiiion dollars bAs been returned
IL henehriaries an1 b19Uuoo Was applied 10
expenses Il officers. The ratio Of expenses
70 the income h about - per cent.--an
enormous amount
Tue aeefage amount paid BY these l6
COMPANIES daring 1856 on each 81 oco OF
losses - si0.. Wliis the amount Of expense
TOR che same concerns during l15- year was
tl29 -T6 Co and lLc amount PAID IA losses
Was So 51493. The average age Of the
u.suters OF these rs concerns Is 63, or an
sverage a. high as the maximum age OF the
risks taken 0y the legitimate companies
The amount OF losses. az their face value OF
a.. a4..ss.
on whicA only $4,000 was paid. AL were
scaled down. as is the usual practice
The report and the testimony covers the
following associations. 4. IN all CONNER
Ciai Mutual Association. Detroit, Detroit
Mutual Beneai Association, Detroit, Equa-
Die Mutual Lie. Lansing, Industrial
Mutual Benefit Association, Corunna,
Loyal Life Association. -Keadigg; Masonic
Mutual Association cs Western Michigan.
Grand Rapids, Michigan Mutual Benefit
Association. hlllsdale. Old Peoples Life
Insurance co. Of Jackson. Jackson; Old
fe0u.es Mutual Benefit Society. Benton
Habcrs FeninsUlar state Mutual Benefit
Association, Ithaca. Peoples Cooperative
and Mutual Benefit Society. Battle Greek;
Protective Life Association, Lansing; South
ern Michigan Mutual Association. Union
City. Staatrat Life Association, Marshall;
Union Mutual Association. Detroit; Uni
vsrsal Relief and Indemnity Association,
Detroit Western Union Life and Accident
Society Of the United States, Detroit
Among the prominent people ia the State
whom The report duplicates as being init
mafely connected with these graveyard
schemes are Representative Lawrence
G. Fyfe. of 81. Joseph. attorney Of the Ben
ton HarbOr cOncern-One OF the most rot
ten Of the lot Marc A. Merrifeld, a prom
inent lawyer Of Union City. attorney tor
the graveyard shop there. VIM. I. Gibson.
a prominent citizen Of Jackson, secretary
Of the company there. Ex-Governor Austin
Blair. one OF The inc0rpOratOrs Of the
same company and IT'S attorney: Fred JOr-
dan-graduaie OF the Elkhart humbug-
Secretary Of the Benton HaTbor rottenness;
Dr j. Beil. for 25 years a practicing physi-
cian Of Benton HarhOr, who Il the medical
director Of the same most rotten scheme.
A. J. Kidd. the most prominent dry
goods merchant Of Benton HarDOr, acts as
treasurer OF the aoove swindls. AMI the
evidence shows ma be premeditstedly
signed bis nrothers name 20 an application,
changing bis ordinary handwriting 70
back hand at The suggestion OF the general
agent 0f the company. j. = Morton,
manager OF the 6raham & Morton Trans
Dortau0n Company az Benton HarcOr. -
sx treasurer Of this company.
James NJ Goooell reading lawyer OF
Corunna q secretary Of the CoTunna asso-
years been specuIaling on the lives Of
strangers. T. ;. Barnes il the secretary.
owner sad proprietor OF the fsuinsuiar
State Mutual Benefit Association OF Ithaca.
10 il shown that eiFnt Years ago be came
there with nothing and is nov rated az
$4,000 RE told the President one tine
when the latter aske3 to look over the
books That is none Of yonr d. o1si-
ness.
pr. J. " Houston q regular physician Of
Marshall. appears ss the regular medical di-
rector Of q NarshsI company. and makes =
reznisr practice of dil8E cut the medical
examination and signing the same on any
applications which come IN without the
so-cal ed medical examination blank beng
hied. He does aot care % sse or know the
person insured.
~. g. Ferkiss. keeper Of the Calhoun
Cognty Poor House. sppesrs as having in
sured ne lives Of two psupers IN thas in
stifuucn-Marv Irscv aud Joanna SNOW
and TO- have realized he amount psid in
visnir ih.rtv days On one. and $50 within
siew months ga fha other. Re took ont
this Insurance. ls a creditor.
ur 81 e. BsckWith. q prominent phvsi-
cisn of ovosso seerns 60 have Easoe a regt-
lar business ~ fssio- risks On bis patients
Ore Case--tha. 81 John Murphy. took 0ut
a. Insurance iu The NarsbsA conrcrn.
beekN n signing the Application a. appli-
caut - rledleal examiner. ss be1i irei3rv
and a. sEtn- lie claimed ttat Marphv
wss a credIf1r 1f his tn the amount ~
2su for ~ fesrs' me1icai attendance %
Mgrphy's tami~ Murphy soon died. of
Course sad che r-rois sf death show Beck
with ss claimant ard Officiating physician
~ the frsfh. &s ore wiEness saws He
hsi everything to d. With the ease, except
20 at as wnursar or preach the fanarsi
sermen.f On as ie1th be reosivsd $3.50